Geluk is als glas

The pivotal figure in this film is the statue of the 17th-century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza in The Hague. Spinoza, who lived and worked in this city for some years, devoted a lot of attention in his writings to the nature of man and his desires. Illustrated by some of his statements, the question is now asked to what extent wealth is a prerequisite for personal happiness. Various inhabitants of The Hague are followed in their daily lives: a housewife who is married to a well-to-do manager, a handicapped woman looking for a job, a Somali refugee, an ex-millionaire now living on the streets, a garbage collector with gambling debts and a dancer. They all explain how important money is in their lives. The opinion of most of them is expressed by a retired art dealer, who nods at his wife saying, ‘My only jewel is sitting there’.